7.11.2008

Leelo and Compulsive Behaviors

Leelo has taken to compulsively touching the floor//his feet/the seat when he gets up from a seated position (stool, toilet, chair).

Supervisor M would like us to help Leelo eliminate these behaviors, as they disrupt his ability to transition from one activity to the next, and are a form of stimming that is not sustainable, especially if they develop into more elaborate and more entrentched routines (they are also self-reinforcing).

She would like us to stay next to him while he is seated, and gently but firmly block him from bending over/touching the floor when it is time for him to transition. She hopes that, with our help, this obsessive behavior can be faded out much like his previous obsession with taking off any clothes that had even a drop of water on them. And then we can spend more time helping him learn productive behaviors, behaviors that will lead to more independence and hopefully more happiness -- which is what we all want for this cute sweet challenging boy.

Ignoring won't work with a behavior like this since it is probably not an attention seeking behavior. Blocking and redirection, rewarding him with tokens when he does transition appropriately with no stereotypy and a possible response cost of tokens when he does do it is the most effective way to get rid of these types of behaviors.